


Homesick?

by kroosista



Category: Football RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:31:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4623741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kroosista/pseuds/kroosista
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were all sitting on a coffee shop in Shanghai trying to eat while complaining about the weather. Isco was laughing about some joke they did during training and everyone was listening carefully… except one. Toni was looking out the window with a thoughtful face. James stole glances at him every once in a while. He didn’t want to interrupt him by stealing his line of thoughts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homesick?

**Author's Note:**

> While playing the Championship Cup in Shanghai!

\-------------***--------------

They were all sitting on a coffee shop in Shanghai trying to eat while complaining about the weather. Isco was laughing about some joke they did during training and everyone was listening carefully… except one. Toni was looking out the window with a thoughtful face. James stole glances at him every once in a while. He didn’t want to interrupt him by stealing his line of thoughts.

“And then the water came flying everywhere. The Mister wasn’t very happy. But it wasn’t my fault that the hose was defective.” Isco said while the rest laughed.

James did so too but without much emotion. He was still looking at the German with interest. He wanted to know what happened to make him so somber. When the food arrived, they all started to chitchat with the one sitting right next to them. Toni wasn’t particularly interested in his food either. It was weird because that salad was heaven on a plate (James ordered the same thing because it was that amazing) and Toni wasn’t eating anything.

“Hey, Germany?” Toni looked at Sergio “When we’re in Germany for the Audi Cup you’re going to show me some pubs, right? Like the Germans do.”

“Sure, Sergio. But remember, we take our beers without ice”

“So what? We can ask for some ice, can’t we?”

“Actually, no, Sese. You have to drink it without any ice” Dani said and Sergio looked at him like he was mental, which made everyone else laugh.

James was still looking at Toni with a crease in his eyebrows. Something was off with the blonde and he wanted to figure it out soon.

“Joder, James. I’m talking to you, you big doufus!” Isco was waving his hand in front of his face.

“Sorry, I’m distracted.”

“Yeah, we all can see that!” James blushed at that and looked at Toni again, only this time he was looking back.

Benitez took that moment to call everyone’s attention “Guys, we decided that, since it’s so hot outside and we just arrived, today we will only do one training session. So, you all have a free evening in your hands” the whole team cheered at that “use it wisely, people!”

Everyone started to leave the dining room when they were done, chatting along the way out. Isco stopped to look at James and Toni.

“Are you two going out in the city or what?”

“I’m going to stay here while Toni finishes his dinner. Then, we’ll see”

“Okay. Let me know if you wanna hang out.”

“Cool”

Toni was still looking at James when Isco left and James scooted his chair closer to the German.

“What are you waiting for? Eat that salad!”

“I’m not really hungry”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I’m just not…”

“Well, are you up to a walk in the park behind the hotel? It’s a pretty spectacular night”

“Spect… what?”

“Just that the stars are shining and, even though is hot as hell, it’s nice.” James explained while Toni gave him a small smile “Come on, I promise you’ll enjoy a little time outside” Toni nodded and James smiled. “Let’s go, then”

 

They were walking on the area across the hotel. There was a little park there and the trees had small lights attached to the leaves. It was a really beautiful night, James thought, if only Toni wouldn’t look so… sad.

“What’s going through your mind, Toni? You have a weird look in your face… what’s the matter?”

“Nothing, just me being weird… really.”

“Well, I know you’re weird, we all do” Toni smiled “but you look…”

“What?”

“Sad. Like, you’re missing something…” Toni looked to the ground still smiling “I’m right, am I not? You’re sad” Toni didn’t say anything “What’s the matter?”

“It’s silly, I swear…”

“Nothing is silly if it makes you feel bad, Toni… if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But I don’t like to see you like this”

Toni looked at the sky, which gave the Colombian the opportunity to really look at him, at his profile. The way the lights reflected on his skin, and his hair…

“I just… I miss my country.”

“But that’s not bad. I mean, I miss Colombia all the time. Specially the food, believe me…”

“It’s not just that… I feel out of place sometimes…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… Half the time I can’t really understand the jokes around me. When I struggle to find the words I’m looking for, I’m aware I don’t belong. I’m the only blonde of the team…”

“That’s not true… there’s Ødegaard”

“You know what I mean. Even at dinner I felt left out…”

“No one did that on purpose”

“I know, James… It’s just how I feel… I miss my family… I miss Germany”

“Hey… I know you miss your country but…” He was out of words… he didn’t know what to say “I just want you to know that we care about you and your feelings and that it’s okay to miss your roots. That’s understandable but don’t shy away and let me out, okay? I want to help”

Toni just smiled shyly at James. Even though most of the time he loved when the blonde smiled, he didn’t like when he looked so sad. He wanted to do something but couldn’t think of something good. There was a beep sound somewhere and Toni pulled out his phone.

“Nice. I’m out of battery…”

“You or your phone?” Toni smiled a little wider

“Both, I think… and my brother made me promise to send him some pictures… well, I’ll send them tomorrow”

That sentence right there gave James an idea, so he pulled out his phone and sent two messages real quick while Toni looked at the sky while sitting on a bench. A beep let him know the first one had been answered with a smiley face and a yell from across the street let him know that the second message had been received as well.

“Jamesito! Antonio!”

“Isco… My name is not Antonio”

“Toni… Antonio… Same thing. What’s with the long face, blonde locks?”

“I feel offended by the ‘blonde locks’ commentary, Isco” said a voice closer to Toni that made him look. There stood Martin with his hands on his pockets and a smile.

“Come on, Martin. You are our youngest blondie ever! Don’t be a party pooper!”

“Whatever, Alarcón”

“Okay so… Sergio asked me to bring you guys to the bridge over there to see some fireworks”

“I was going to go to my room…”

“See? That’s why I’m calling you Antonio. Man! Don’t be such a grumpy old person! We go, see the fireworks and then James and I return you to your retirement home”

“Francisco!” James, Toni and Martin said at the same time.

“Okay, that was creepy. Sorry. Please, Toni?”

Toni looked at James and saw that he really wanted to go and could also see that, if he refused, he would return to the hotel with him no matter what. So he sighed and said “Okay”

Isco whooped “Hell yeah. Let’s go”

No one noticed James slipping something into Martin’s hands but they saw that the youngster stayed where he was

“Martin? Aren’t you coming with us?” Toni asked softly. He really liked the kid.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there but I have to get something at the hotel.”

“Okay…” Isco and James shared a look with a smile and kept walking toward the bridge where Sergio was waiting with the rest of the guys.

“ _Chavalines!_ The fireworks are about to start! And Toni, sour face out, please?”

“Shut up, Sese!”

Sergio laughed and passed an arm around Toni’s shoulders and took James’ arm and pushed them to the end of the rail and the fireworks started. It was truly a beautiful sight and soon they got lost in the colors and the forms they were watching. Toni looked at James and smiled, wider than any other smile that night and James send him a smile of his own.

 

The fireworks show ended a little bit too soon for their taste and everyone started to make their walk to other places: the hotel, the restaurant, the balcony, or just staying there on the bridge.

“Let’s go to the hotel, okay?” James said with a smile. Hopefully his plan will work just like he wanted.

“Okay…”

James took Toni by the jacket and started the walk back, but then he looked at Isco who smiled “You coming with us?”

“Nah, Dani owns me a beer and I plan to cash that one right now”

“Well, have fun!” Toni looked around and saw Martin watching them with a smile. “Hey. You saw the fireworks?”

“Yes. Well a little bit. Got carried away on the hotel. But, it was awesome.”

“What the hotel or the fireworks?”

“The fireworks, James. The hotel was boring as hell”

“Are you going back or not?”

“I am. It’s past my bedtime, according to Sergio. Since I’m a kid ‘I must obey the elders and go to bed early’… whatever!” James and Toni both laughed out loud at Martin’s outburst.

“Let’s go, then.”

The three of them kept walking and talking about the fireworks’ show. Martin kept asking James to repeat some words in Spanish to see if he could said them right. They arrived at the hotel and said goodnight to Rafa and his team that were in the lobby. Toni noticed that Martin followed them to their room and James smiled. The German shrugged his shoulders and went to grab the room key from his jacket but didn’t find it.

“Looking for this?” Martin said while holding a room key.

“How do you have my room key?”

“I took it from you before the firework show” James confessed and Toni looked at both of them with a frown.

“Why?”

“We needed them. And stop asking questions. You’ll find soon enough…” that’s all Martin said before opening the door and pushing Toni inside. “It took me a while because I didn’t know your password so; I had to use my computer instead. But, I hope you’ll be happy enough to let me live…”

“Martin… what the hell?”

“It was James’ idea, by the way. So, you’ll have to kill us both, just if you want”

Toni turned around to look at them again and crossed his arms. He didn’t know what they had planned but he didn’t like to be in the dark about things.

_“You shouldn’t kill them, sweet brother of mine. I actually kind of like them”_

Toni spun around so fast it was kind of funny. There on the computer screen were his brother and his father smiling at him and waving.

“What’s this?”

_“Oh, well, James told me you were being a sad puppy during your trip and that you missed home, so I called Dad and with Martin’s help we managed to make this Skype thing now. So, be a nice little German, turn around, thank them and then come here and tell us why you are moping…”_

Toni looked at James and Martin and they were smiling so big it was kind of weird.

“Yup, that’s my cue to leave. I trust you guys will return my laptop as soon as you finish. So, I’ll go to my room.”

James shook his hand and Martin smiled at Toni, waved at Felix – who waved back – and left… but just before he went out…

“Martin?” he turned around at the sound of Toni’s voice. The German went and hugged him “Thanks for this. Really”

“That’s the least I could do for a friend, Toni. Have fun”

Toni smiled and Martin left.

 _“Hey, bro. Just so you know, it’s like 6:30 am here. Not a time to be awake if I’m not doing anything”_ Felix said with a yawn and his father said something in German that made both of the brothers laugh.

“I’m going to go grab something to bring home. Souvenirs of some sort. Leave you guys alone to have a little chat, okay” Toni nodded with a smile. “Felix, don’t antagonize him too much, okay.”

_“Can’t promise a thing, James!”_

“Whatever… and nice to see you, Mr. Kroos”

James smiled and left the room. He knew he had done something good. And the best thing was the smile on Toni’s face when he was leaving the room. He heard a door open and turned just when he heard “James”

Toni was jogging to catch up with him and he stopped by his side. James smiled and Toni corresponded with a huge one too. The blonde one leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. For everything”

“You don’t have to thank me. Go, have a nice chat with your family and then meet me downstairs, okay?”

Toni nodded and returned to the room. Minutes later when Isco found James on the front step of the hotel with a smile so big it was shinning on his face, he knew something had gone perfectly fine with them.

**Author's Note:**

> I had to do something new about Krodriguez since I was waiting for the season to start... it seemed like FOREVER!
> 
> As usual anything you want me to write send it here: http://kroos8shipper.tumblr.com/and I'll try to make something as soon as possible.
> 
> Let me know what you think and, if you want me to try some different cannons/ships, let me know as well!


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